Charges: Abused baby died of dehydration, lived in filthy conditions

Charges: Abused baby died of dehydration, lived in filthy conditions

(Courtesy: Magleby Mortuary)


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MONROE, Sevier County — Before dying of "dehydration due to neglect," a baby girl lived in filthy conditions under the care of her father, according to charges filed against the man Monday.

David Lewis Anderson, 37, of Monroe, was charged in 6th District Court with child abuse homicide, a second-degree felony, in the death of Siri Alexis Anderson, who was one day away from her first birthday when she died June 7. He was arrested Wednesday.

"David stopped giving Siri the fluids and nutrition she needed to survive, (which led) to her death," charging documents state. "The June summer temperatures in the week that Siri died in a home without air conditioning … likely aided in further dehydrating Siri."

Anderson was Siri's sole guardian in the weeks before her death, court documents say.

"He told officers he had taken (Siri) off of baby formula bottles and was putting her on more solid foods," charges state.

Court documents describe Anderson's home, 1080 N. Meadow Lark Lane, as unsanitary and neglected.

"The home (reeked) of the smell of urine and of cigarette smoke. … It was dirty and unkept," the charges state. "Unwashed dishes with food remnants and flies occupied the kitchen. A child's card table was located in the dining area and still had the dried remnants of meals past stuck to it."

Siri's crib, which was collected for evidence, was described in the same way.

"In a bedroom with a door labeled 'Siri,' we discovered a child's playpen/crib with multiple blankets and a full size pillow on it," charges state. "The bedding smelled strongly of urine to the point that it was as pungent as the odor of vinegar. Flies were buzzing on the damp bedding."

David L. Anderson, 37, of Monroe, Utah (Sevier County Sheriff)
David L. Anderson, 37, of Monroe, Utah (Sevier County Sheriff)

The temperature in the home was also between 90 and 95 degrees.

Anderson called 911 on June 7 and told dispatchers he discovered his daughter in her crib not breathing, according to court documents. Police reported finding Siri in "very poor condition" and that she was "very dirty and smelled of urine and feces."

"She was wearing a soiled diaper and had severe diaper rash," charges state.

Siri was taken to Sevier Valley Hospital, where efforts to revive her were unsuccessful.

Court documents allude to Anderson being seen without Siri in multiple stores in the several weeks before his daughter's death, meaning it was possible she was "in an unattended vehicle" at the time. In June, Anderson was convicted of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle, a class C misdemeanor.

Court documents in that case don't specify whether that child was Siri. Anderson also has an older daughter.

Anderson and Siri's mother had both filed restraining orders against each other in the past year, court records show. Two weeks after Siri died, her mother filed for a protective order against Anderson, but the order was dismissed when she failed to show up in court a month later, according to court documents.

However, Anderson was charged on July 1 with charged with violating that protective order, a third-degree felony. Anderson was also convicted in August 2015 of violating a protective order for threatening Siri's mother.

Siri's mother took a plea in abeyance in March to attempted aggravated assault. Court documents say she had threatened Anderson with a knife in that case. The Sevier County Sheriff's Office has said Anderson had sole custody of Siri in the three months prior to her death.

Anderson's other daughter was recently removed from his custody, court documents indicate. Charges say he visited the Division of Child and Family Services office in Richfield in July and "made threats to employees that he was willing to kill for his (older) daughter … if he didn't regain custody of her."

"These threats caused alarm to the employees and the state of Utah has since assigned an armed security person at their office," the charges say.

Anderson is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Tuesday in the homicide case. He is currently being held in the Sevier County Jail.

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Ben Lockhart

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